PUBLIC VERSUS NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS
The 29th Annual
Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll
Of the Public's Attitudes
Toward the Public Schools
Illustration by Fred Bell
PUBLIC VERSUS NONPUBLIC SCHOOLS |
The 29th Annual Illustration by Fred Bell |
|
The current poll featured the usual questions regarding attendance at public, private, or church-related schools with the government paying all or part of the costs. The first question dealt with choosing a private school to attend at public expense. In the past, when this question has been asked, some critics have suggested that the results would be different if the words ''government expense'' were used in place of ''public expense.'' With this in mind, a split-sample design was used in this year's poll. That is, the sample was divided, and the question was asked both ways. The customary question dealing with the use of vouchers was also asked, along with a question designed to determine whether the public believes any changes in admission policies should be required for nonpublic schools that accept public funds.
Providing for parents and students to attend nonpublic schools at public expense has been strongly opposed in past years. In 1993, for example, the percentage opposing allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense was 74%, with only 24% in favor. In 1994 allowing parents to send their school-age children to any public, private, or church-related school of their choice with the government paying ''all or part of the tuition'' was opposed 54% to 45%. However, with each succeeding year, the opposition has lessened. This year the public can be described as almost equally divided on this issue.
Choosing Private Schools at Public Expense
The current poll is the fourth (starting in 1993) to ask the public its attitude toward allowing parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense. The opposition has been consistent, though it dropped from 74% in 1993 to 65% in 1995 to 61% in 1996. This year the poll shows that 52% oppose such choice while 44% approve it.
The group most likely to oppose this form of choice is the 18- to 29-year-olds (62% opposed, 38% in favor). Groups most likely to support this form of choice include nonwhites (51% in favor, 46% opposed) and urban residents (53% in favor, 45% opposed).
A second form of the question was also asked this year with the words ''government expense'' substituted for ''public expense.'' When asked in this way, the public is equally divided, with 48% in favor and 48% opposed. Those most likely to support this choice include blacks (72%), nonwhites (68%), 18- to 29-year-olds (70%), professional and business persons (53%), and urban residents (59%).
The first question:
Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at public expense?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||||||||||
'97 |
'96 |
'95 |
'93 |
'97 |
'96 |
'95 |
'93 |
'97 |
'96 |
'95 |
'93 |
'97 |
'96 |
'95 |
'93 | |
| Favor | 44 |
36 |
33 |
24 |
44 |
33 |
30 |
21 |
45 |
39 |
38 |
27 |
52 |
60 |
44 |
45 |
| Oppose | 52 |
61 |
65 |
74 |
54 |
63 |
68 |
76 |
50 |
59 |
59 |
72 |
44 |
38 |
51 |
55 |
| Don't know | 4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
* |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||||||||||||||
The second question:
Do you favor or oppose allowing students and parents to choose a private school to attend at government expense?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||
Gov't. Exp. |
Public Exp. |
Gov't. Exp. |
Public Exp. |
Gov't. Exp. |
Public Exp. |
Gov't. Exp. |
Public Exp. | |
| Favor | 48 |
44 |
51 |
44 |
43 |
45 |
50 |
52 |
| Oppose | 48 |
52 |
45 |
54 |
54 |
50 |
44 |
44 |
| Don't know | 4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
4 |
The question most directly associated with vouchers was asked in 1994 and repeated in 1996. When it was first asked in 1994, 45% favored the idea. Support was virtually the same (43%) in 1996; however, this year's poll shows the public equally divided, with 49% in favor and 48% opposed. Both public school parents (55%) and nonpublic school parents (68%) favor allowing parents to send their school-age children to any public, private, or church-related school they choose, with the government paying part or all of the cost.
This issue divides men and women. Women favor permitting the choice by 52% to 45%; men oppose it by 51% to 47%. Other groups in support include blacks (62% to 34%), nonwhites (61% to 36%), 18- to 29-year-olds (55% to 43%), 30- to 49-year-olds (53% to 45%), those who live in the South (56% to 42%), those in the $20,000 to $30,000 income group (55% to 43%), those in the $10,000 to $20,000 income group (53% to 42%), and manual laborers (53% to 44%). Groups in opposition include those 50 years of age and older (56% to 40%), those living in the West (54% to 45%), those in the $50,000 and over income group (57% to 41%), and suburban residents (51% to 45%).
The question:
A proposal has been made that would allow parents to send their school-age children to any public, private, or church-related school they choose. For those parents choosing nonpublic schools, the government would pay all or part of the tuition. Would you favor or oppose this proposal in your state?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||||||
'97 |
'96 |
'94 |
'97 |
'96 |
'94 |
'97 |
'96 |
'94 |
'97 |
'96 |
'94 | |
| Favor | 49 |
43 |
45 |
46 |
38 |
42 |
55 |
49 |
48 |
68 |
70 |
69 |
| Oppose | 48 |
54 |
54 |
51 |
59 |
57 |
43 |
49 |
51 |
31 |
28 |
29 |
| Don't know | 3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
Obligations of Private Schools Accepting Public Funds
One of the issues that comes up in any debate over public funds going to nonpublic schools is the extent to which those schools should be bound by the same obligations that fall on public schools. This year's poll asked whether such schools should be required to accept students from a wider range of backgrounds and levels of academic ability than is now generally the case. The public is strongly in agreement that they should. Seventy-eight percent of the public holds this view. This response is consistent across all demographic groups.
The question:
Do you think nonpublic schools that receive public funding should or should not be required to accept students from a wider range of backgrounds and academic ability than is now generally the case?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| Should be required to accept a wider range | 78 |
78 |
80 |
76 |
| Should not | 18 |
17 |
17 |
22 |
| Don't know | 4 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
Effects of a Shift to Nonpublic Schools
Another concern raised by those opposing the use of public funds for nonpublic schools is that the students and parents with the financial means to do so might opt for private schools, leaving the public schools to serve the poor and underprivileged. Three of the questions in this year's poll addressed this concern. The responses offer some indication that the concern is warranted.
Almost two-thirds of those surveyed (65%) believe that it would be the higher-achieving students who would take the opportunity to attend private schools. The same percentage believes the result for these students would be improved academic achievement. As for the students remaining in the public schools, 70% of the public believes that their achievement would remain about the same.
Responses to these three questions vary little across the subgroups in the poll.
The first question:
Suppose a large number of students in your local public schools moved to private schools. Just your opinion, who would be most likely to move to the private schools -- the higher-achieving students, the lower-achieving students, or the average-achieving students?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| Higher-achieving students | 65 |
67 |
62 |
56 |
| Lower-achieving students | 8 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
| Average-achieving students | 20 |
19 |
21 |
28 |
| No difference | 3 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
| Don't know | 4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
The second question:
Again, just your opinion, how would the academic achievement of those public school students who had moved to the private schools be affected? Do you think their academic achievement would improve, get worse, or remain about the same after moving to private schools?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| Improve | 65 |
68 |
58 |
80 |
| Get worse | 4 |
4 |
4 |
* |
| Remain about the same | 28 |
25 |
35 |
19 |
| Don't know | 3 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
The third question:
How about the students who remained in the local public schools? Do you think their academic achievement would improve, get worse, or remain about the same?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| Improve | 17 |
16 |
19 |
10 |
| Get worse | 11 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
| Remain about the same | 70 |
70 |
68 |
80 |
| Don't know | 2 |
3 |
2 |
* |
| *Less than one-half of 1%. | ||||
Home Schooling
The Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll first addressed the home-school movement in 1985, asking respondents whether the fledgling move toward home schooling was a good thing or a bad thing for the nation. At that time, 73% said they thought it was a bad thing, while 16% said they thought it was a good thing. When the question was repeated in 1988, the proportion who said it was a bad thing had fallen to 59%, and the proportion who said it was a good thing had risen to 28%. Given a continuing increase in the number of students being schooled at home, poll planners deemed it important to revisit the issue this year. While the public still feels that the home-school movement is a bad thing, the margin has now shrunk to just 21 percentage points.
It is interesting to note that nonpublic school parents, who thought the home-school movement was a bad thing in 1985 (by a margin of 71% to 22%), now favor it by 52% to 41%. This is the only group sampled that believes the movement to home schooling is a good thing.
This year's poll also asked respondents whether home schools should or should not be required to guarantee a minimum level of educational quality. Almost nine in 10 respondents (88%) felt that they should. This response is consistent among all groups.
The first question:
Recently, there has been a movement toward home schools -- that is, situations in which parents keep their children at home to teach the children themselves. Do you think this movement is a good thing or a bad thing for the nation?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |||||||||
'97 |
'88 |
'85 |
'97 |
'88 |
'85 |
'97 |
'88 |
'85 |
'97 |
'88 |
'85 | |
| Good thing | 36 |
28 |
16 |
34 |
27 |
16 |
38 |
29 |
14 |
52 |
29 |
22 |
| Bad thing | 57 |
59 |
73 |
59 |
59 |
72 |
56 |
61 |
75 |
41 |
56 |
71 |
| Don't know | 7 |
13 |
11 |
7 |
14 |
12 |
6 |
10 |
11 |
7 |
15 |
7 |
The second question:
Do you think that home schools should or should not be required to guarantee a minimum level of educational quality?
National Totals |
No Children in School |
Public School Parents |
Nonpublic School Parents | |
| Should be required | 88 |
88 |
91 |
80 |
| Should not be required | 10 |
10 |
8 |
19 |
| Don't know | 2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Last updated: 25 August 1997
URL: http://www.pdkintl.org/kpoll97e.htm
Contact: bucheri@pdkintl.org